The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2016 THE WOLVERINE 59 PREP PROFILES The small Columbus, Ohio, sub- urb of Pickerington is known for its pipeline of future Big Ten players, and it has sent several to Michigan — tight end Jake Butt and defensive end Taco Charlton are currently thriving in Ann Arbor. For current high school players hail- ing from the city, such as 2018 four-star Pickerington Central tight end Trenton Gillison, watching these past local stars is a reminder that they can experience that success at the next level as well. That's one of the reasons, along with seeing how Jim Harbaugh has revitalized the Michigan program, why Gillison included the Wolver- ines in his top five, which he an- nounced in early October. "I like how Coach Harbaugh de- velops his tight ends," he said. "Also, how Coach Harbaugh and his coach- ing staff are really progressing the team. I like how they're getting the best out of their players." Gillison has kept his list fairly local, also expressing interest in Michigan State, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Ten- nessee. Besides making sure that his family can attend as many games as possible, he's in search of a school with a high reputation in academics. The No. 4-ranked tight end in the country and No. 4 junior in Ohio, ac- cording to Rivals.com has also been in talks with Ole Miss, which repre- sents one of his three offers from the Southeastern Conference. The 6-5, 220-pounder maintains a good relationship with Michigan as- sistant Jay Harbaugh. He tries to keep the tight ends coach updated with game performances and whenever he has scheduled an unofficial visit. The four-star tight end is ranked as the No. 96 overall prospect in his class and does not have set dates for taking future visits because he con- tinues to focus on his school's current playoff run. Central took down rival Pickerington North 38-24 Nov. 11 in a Division I regional semifinal. His last visit to Ann Arbor was for the Wisconsin game Oct. 1, and he also saw the Wolverines in action Oct. 29, when they played at Spartan Stadium. He does plan on traveling down south during the offseason in hopes of collecting offers from schools such as Clemson, Florida, Florida State and possibly traveling out west with a goal of landing a tender from UCLA. "The offers that I have, I'm thank- ful for and am blessed to have them, but it's always nice to have more schools' interest," Gillison said. — Zach Libby Pickerington, Ohio, Could Produce Another U-M Star ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Pickerington Central Pickerington, Ohio Class: 2018 Position: Tight End Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 220 R ivals.com R ank ings: No. 4 tight end and No. 96 overall prospect na- tionally Trenton Gillison Gillison on U-M under Jim Harbaugh "I like how Coach Harbaugh develops his tight ends … I really like how they're getting the best out of their players." A season's worth of success has Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child see- ing championship potential. The Falcons are headed to the semifinals following their 28-21 Di- vision 3 regional win over Allen Park Nov. 11. They now set their focus on the two-time defending state champ Orchard Lake St. Mary's, a program that features four-star linebacker and 2017 Michigan commit Josh Ross. Divine Chid's playoff run has been the main focus for 2018 three-star weak- side defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who has gained strong recruiting atten- tion ever since he attended the Best of The Midwest camp back in February. Hutchinson has collected 10 offers, including tenders from U-M, LSU, Michigan State, Nebraska and Wis- consin, among others. Aidan's father, Chris, a 1992 first- team All-American and former Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year at Michigan, has been a key men- tor in reminding him to focus on the objectives at hand, specifically the Falcons' deep run this season. It's the first time in Divine Child history that the football team has ad- vanced this far in the playoffs. "My dad always tells me to not think about recruiting, because you can get caught up in it," Hutchinson said. "I know a lot of people who have got caught up in recruiting, and it all went down the drain. "My goal right now is to focus on my team and focus on winning." Michigan was one of Hutchinson's early offers, and he has already es- tablished a strong connection with U-M's defensive line coach Greg Mattison. Hutchinson considers the relationship to be passed down from his father to him — Mattison first joined the Wolverines as an assistant when Chris was a senior. "Whenever I go to Ann Arbor, we always have a good time," Hutchin- son said. "Coach Mattison always texts me after every game to con- gratulate me, so our relationship is really good right now." Hutchinson noted he may release a list of top schools at the conclusion of the season. He's currently setting his eyes on schools within the Midwest, in particular the Big Ten, so he can remain close to his family. But a big factor in his decision will be the suc- cess of a program, and he has noticed Michigan's vast improvements under the current staff. "Everything looks positive from Michigan in the future," Hutchinson said. "And obviously they're only getting better throughout the years under Coach Harbaugh. Things are looking well for them." — Zach Libby Wolverine Legacy Is Considering Dad's Alma Mater ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Divine Child Dearborn, Mich. Class: 2018 Position: Defensive End Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 227 Rivals.com Rankings: Currently un- rated Aidan Hutchinson Hutchinson "Whenever I go to Ann Arbor, we always have a good time. Coach Mattison texts me after every game … our relation- ship is really good right now."